[ION Minerals Expands Its Lithium Resources Footprint in Texas and Saskatchewan] ION Minerals said it had achieved a major expansion of its diversified lithium resources portfolio in the US and Canada. In a late-March news release, the Houston-based company said the expanded land footprint was achieved through prudent acquisitions, targeted leasing, and focused geological assessments. ION now controls more than 280,000 acres across three project areas, further cementing its position as a leading developer of critical lithium resources for the North American battery supply chain. Smackover is a subsurface geological formation stretching from Florida to Texas and is rich in lithium brine. Source: https://www.mining.com/ [EnergyX's "Lone Star" Project Revolutionizes Domestic Lithium Production in the US] EnergyX's groundbreaking "Lone Star" project marked a major milestone in the US pursuit of critical minerals independence through advanced direct lithium extraction technology. This pioneering facility is the first commercial-scale direct lithium extraction plant to enter operation in the US, addressing long-standing supply chain vulnerabilities while establishing an operational framework for domestic battery-grade lithium production. As demand for critical minerals accelerates amid the global energy transition, the project demonstrates how innovative extraction technologies can transform regional resources into strategic assets. Direct lithium extraction differs fundamentally from traditional mining methods, targeting subsurface brine rather than hard-rock deposits or surface evaporation systems. EnergyX's "Lone Star" project demonstrated this approach through its GET-Lit™ technology, which uses advanced filtration and chemical separation processes to treat brine from the Smackover formation. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [University of Surrey Develops a Lithium-Ion Battery Anode to Enhance Energy Storage] Researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) developed a new-type battery design that could significantly extend EV driving range. In a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, the researchers introduced a lithium-ion battery anode. The anode achieved one of the highest energy storage capacities reported to date in a silicon-carbon nanotube system, while remaining stable after hundreds of charge cycles. Lithium-ion batteries power a wide range of devices in modern technology. Graphite is the most commonly used anode material, offering high stability but limited energy storage capacity. By contrast, silicon has a much higher capacity, but it expands during charging, causing cracking and performance degradation over time. Source: https://www.automotivepowertraintechnologyinternational.com/

As the global energy transition accelerates, the NEV industry is booming at an unprecedented pace. Behind this green transformation, battery recycling—a critical link tied to resource security, environmental protection, and the sustainable development of industry—has quietly emerged as a new industry worth hundreds of billions. From an “environmental burden” to an “urban mine,” the battery recycling industry is demonstrating unprecedentedly broad prospects. Strong policy support has laid a solid foundation for the development of the battery recycling industry. In February 2025, the Executive Meeting of the State Council reviewed and approved the Action Plan for Improving the Recycling System for NEV Power Batteries, explicitly proposing the improvement of the standards system to achieve standardized, safe, and efficient recycling and utilization of power batteries. More importantly, the Interim Measures for the Administration of the Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization of Retired NEV Power Batteries, which will officially take effect on April 1, 2026, marks a new stage in the law-based and standardized management of power battery recycling and utilization in China. The core provisions of this new regulation, jointly issued by six departments including the MIIT, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, include: Establishing a digital ID system: generating a unique and dynamic digital ID for each power battery pack to enable full life cycle flow monitoring and information-based traceability Implementing the “vehicle-battery integrated retirement” system: retired NEVs must include their power batteries to prevent battery loss Clarifying the responsibilities of all parties: power battery enterprises and NEV producers must establish recycling service outlets and assume fallback responsibility for collection Defining red lines for comprehensive utilization: enterprises engaged in the comprehensive utilization of retired power batteries must complete the relevant procedures in accordance with the law, and such batteries are prohibited from being used in restricted fields such as e-bikes Battery recycling is not only an industry, but also a green revolution concerning the sustainable development of humanity. From policy support to technological innovation, and from resource security to industrial upgrading, China’s battery recycling industry is advancing at an unprecedented speed and with unprecedented intensity. As the 14th Five-Year Plan is implemented in greater depth and the “dual carbon” goals continue to advance, this “urban mine” of battery recycling will release enormous economic, environmental, and social value, contributing China’s wisdom and solutions to the global energy transition and the development of the circular economy.

On March 30, the Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau issued the Three-Year Action Plan of Shenzhen to Promote the Improvement of Quality and Efficiency in Foreign Trade—Special Measures for “Export Shenzhen.” It stated that support would be provided for the import of advanced technological equipment and key parts needed for the development of the “20+8” industrial clusters; enterprises would be guided and assisted in actively applying for national import interest subsidy support for technologies and products included in the Catalog of Technologies and Products Encouraged for Import; and “one-on-one” tax reduction and exemption guidance services would be provided for enterprises engaged in related frontier technology products. Personalized regulatory measures would be formulated for the import of important intermediate products required for the development of industries such as integrated circuits and flat-panel display modules, so as to promote the efficient input of key materials and components into R&D and production. Efforts would also be made to explore and advance pilot imports of used key parts for automotive R&D testing.

[SMM Tin Morning Briefing: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Opened Slightly Higher in the Night Session and Then Fluctuated Lower, While Trading in the Spot Market Was Relatively Weak]

Research from Indonesia's Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) outlines a 180-day action plan to operationalize the country's 100 GW solar target. The initiative includes 80 GW of decentralized solar-plus-storage across 80,000 villages and 20 GW of centralized solar. IESR recommends designating it a national strategic program and adopting a differentiated approach rather than a uniform 1 MW/4 MWh system per village to avoid stranded assets. Implementing this requires a $78 billion phase-one investment, with subsequent costs estimated at $140-210 billion, plus training for 100,000 installers. A task force has already been established, alongside a $1.4 billion investment for a 50 GW domestic manufacturing facility to support the massive rollout.

Irish developer Echelon has started building the DUB20 data center campus in Arklow, Co Wicklow, marking Ireland's first Green Energy Park ('GEP'). This aligns with the government's Large Energy Users Action Plan ('LEAP'), designed to co-locate energy-intensive industries with renewable generation. Slated for completion by 2028, DUB20 will feature solar 'PV' systems capable of generating over 6,000 MWh annually, co-located battery storage, and a joint 220 kV substation to integrate up to 800 MW of offshore wind. It will also include an onsite energy center capable of exporting power to the national grid. While hailed by the government as a sustainable model, some climate advocacy groups remain critical, urging a moratorium on new data center connections.